Karnataka poll date leak: No mention of Amit Malviya's name in EC inquiry order

The name of BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya does not feature in the Election Commission's inquiry order on Karnataka poll date leak.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya. Photo: Twitter

NEW DELHI: A tweet by the BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya announcing the Karnataka Assembly polls date before an official announcement by the Elections Commission triggered a controversy on Tuesday. Malviya's prompted the poll panel to set up a probe committee that may seek help from central agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau. The EC has constituted a six-member committee comprising of four deputy election commissioners to inquire into the alleged leaking of information pertaining to the schedule of Karnataka Assembly elections before its official announcement. The committee, headed by senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha, will enquire from the media regarding the source of information of leaked election schedule and the manner in which it was obtained. It will also enquire from Srivatsa B, in-charge of Congress social media in Karnataka, regarding the "source of information" of his tweets on the schedule of the election. It will also enquire from a "Kannada channel allegedly owned by a BJP MP" about tweets made by a journalist regarding the source of information, the terms of reference of the committee formed to probe the leak said. However, the name of BJP IT cell head does not feature in the EC inquiry order. The Committee would also suggest steps needed to prevent any such eventuality in future. The Election Commission has asked the committee to submit its report within a period of seven days. Before Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat declared the Karnataka elections schedule on Tuesday, Malviya tweeted the polling will be held on May 12 and the results would be out on May 18. He later deleted the tweet and claimed that he had posted the dates according to a news channel report. The CEC had later said the tweet was partially incorrect as the actual date of counting was May 15 and not May 18. Karnataka Assembly elections will be held on May 12 and the results will be declared on May 15.